Epictetus Quotes: Wisdom and Stoicism

Epictetus is one of the most famous Stoicphilosophers. His philosophy, as revealed in his quotes below, focuses on the wisdom and the pursuit of happiness. His philosophy is minimalist. His most famous work is the Enchiridion.

Beside Cicero and Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus let us few works but a huge philosophical legacy, based on the acceptation of the fate.

Epictetus quotes on wisdom and happiness:

– “Happiness is not to acquire and enjoy, but nothing to be desired, as it is to be free”

– “Do not expect that events happen as you wish and decides to try what happens and you are happy”

– “It does not depend on you to be rich, but it depends on you to be happy”

– “What disturbs people, these are not things, but the judgments relating to things”

– “Our salvation and our loss is in ourselves”

– “The essence of philosophy is that a man should live so that his happiness depends as little as possible from external causes”

– “Do not tie a ship to a single anchor, nor life to a single hope”

– “If you want to advance the study of wisdom, does not refuse on external things, to pass for stupid and foolish”

– “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has”

Epictetus phrases on pleasure and pain:

– “This is not the satisfaction of desire that freedom is obtained, but the destruction of desire”

– “Before a pleasure, beware of representation, to represent the weight of regret to be sold and in return the ephemeral nature of this pleasure. If pleasure always seems tempting, it can then indulge”

Epictetus thoughts on the others / intersubjectivity:

– “It is the mark of a small mind to attack others when they fail in what he undertook, he who carries on itself a spiritual work takes them to himself: he that complete this work nor does it take to oneself or to others ”

– Nobody will harm you, unless you consent, evil will come only when you deem it hurts ”

– “It be wise to charge only of its own misfortunes”

– “If we just tell you that someone has spoken ill of you say:” We must ignore all my other faults, to mention only those which are known ”

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